By Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The Federal Government has described the late Moses Olaiya (MON) as a trailblazer, whose death robbed the country of one of the finest and incomparable Thespians of his time.
Olaiya, popularly known as Baba Sala, died at his private residence in Ilesa, Osun State, on Sunday night, aged 82-year-old.
The media aide to the comedian, Mr Isaac Haastrup, said the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the morgue of the Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement he issued in Abuja on Monday, expressed profound sadness over the death of Mr Olaiya.
Mohammed described the doyen of the comedy genre in the country as a colossus of his time.
The minister said Baba Sala, along with his contemporaries, laid the foundation for the theatre and comedy that have now taken Nigeria’s creative industry by storm.
”Baba Sala’s sacrifices, contribution and commitment played a great role in launching an industry that is now a huge employer of labour and a significant contributor to the nation’s economy. Through it all, he lived a life of honesty and service that qualified him as a great role model,” he said.
Mohammed also condoled with the family of the late foremost entertainer and prayed that God will grant repose to his soul and also grant his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Baba Sala popularised television acting in Nigeria in the 1970s and later branched into filmography in the 1980s, producing hit flicks including, Orun Mooru, Aare Agbaye, Mosebolatan and Obee Gbona, among others.
